Goa Festivals

The harmonious mix of variant creed and multicultural socio-religious, cause that goa has several festivals, each community has its own style and times for its festivities, so, the Hindus celebrate their festivities in non fixed days, and the Catholic has fixed days for celebrate their festivals, and Muslims have their calendar for their festivals.

The festivals are very colorful and with the long colonization of the Portuguese the style of the festivals have more elegance and distinctive. The majority of the population in Goa are Hindu and their festivities are celebrates through the year, in same manner, Catholics and other religions celebrate their festival. Some festivals are detailed below.

Shigmo

The festival is the Holi version in Goa, the colorful festival is celebrate in February or March, held for one week up to the full moon day. And is celebrated for mark the end of the winter, in the festival, the people play throwing colored water and powder, the tourist became in target of the people, bus it is in good manner of to make just to enjoy the tourist. If you want to participate in this festivity won’t go your dressed in best cloths. The festivity is called as Shigmotsav too.

Carnival

The carnival is celebrate around world, but in Goa is a special celebration during three day of color, song and music, finished with a procession of colorful floats which takes place on Domingo Gordo or Fat Sunday in the arrival of the King Momo who ordering to the citizens that forget his troubles and have a good time. The carnival is celebrated by the arrival of the spring and is a Catholic festival. The principal city in Goa that celebrates this festival is Panjim.

Ganesh Chaturthi Or Chovoth

In Goa, the most important national festival is the Ganesh Chaturthi or known as Chovoth, the festival occur during August to September in the fourth day of Bhadarva Chukla Paksh of Hindu calendar. During the festival the people clean and decorates their houses, prepare it to receive to the divine guest Lord Ganesh, family is together and friend come the home, exchange gifts, and enjoy by the birth of the Ganesha with new clothes, dance and music.

Diwali

During October and November is celebrated the Diwali Festivals, for five days, the Diwali day is the third day, it is also known as the “Festival of the Lights”, because each household set fire five or seven lights in honor of the Lord Vishnu in his eighth incarnation as Krishna who destroyed to the Narakasura demom, the people exchange gifts and sweets.

Gokulshtami

This festival is celebrate during August or September on the 8th day of the dark half of the month of 'Bhadrapada', and Hindus celebrate the Gokul Ashtami is the birthday of Lord Krishna, who is the incarnation of the Lord Vishnu. Vishnu came to the world to destroy the evil.

Lairai Jatra

The Lairai Jatra festival is celebrated in the early days of May, is the most famous and rare festival, the festivities are centered in the small town of Shirgao, where the people walk on the hot coals raked from an enormous bonfire.

Nag Panchami

It festival is dedicate to the Snake God, Shesha Nag, the cobra in the Hinduism has a special significance, and in this day the people offer milk and doing Puja to Nag Panchami. The festival is celebrated during July and August.

Gudhi Padwa

It is the advent of Hindu New Year, and is the day most auspicious days by the hindus, it is celebrated on the first day of the month of Chaitra and is called “shuddha pratipada”, the time is around March to April.

Raksha Bandhan

During this festival, brothers and sisters are together, the Raksha Bandhan symbolizes love affection and feeling of brotherhood, it is celebrated in the month of Shravan around July to August, in the day of the full moon.

Ramnam

The festival is in honor of the Lord Rama, and it is celebrate between March and April on the ninth day of the waxing moon of the month Chaitra.

Chikhalkala

It is celebrated in June or July is a unusual festival in honor to the childhood of the Lord Krishna.

Feast Of The Three Kings

On sixth day of January, the Catholics celebrate the arrived of the Three Wise Kings with gifts for Christ.

Independence Day

On 15th August, the country celebrates the anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom in 1947.

Christmas Day

On 25th December, the Catholics celebrate the born day of the Christ, and go to the churches at midnight mass services traditionally Cock Crow, in the morning all families shopping and are gathering and feasting.

New Year

The celebration is jubilant and full of parties anticipating the good things the New Year, it is celebrated on first January.